Well, not so much excitement, but a pleasant diversion to normal life as the two
set about finding who the winner is, so they may endear themselves and partake
of the winnings as the best friends.
As O'Shea becomes a man of generosity himself whilst undertaking the search, it
becomes clear that there is only one man it can be; Ned Divine.
Unfortunately, when Ned is tracked down, he's as stiff as a board; stone dead
in front of the television, winning ticket clutched in his hand.
Taking the ticket is easy, but Ned has signed his name on the back.
There's nothing to do but for Michael to impersonate him and claim the money
himself.
But that involves convincing the whole village that Michael O'Sullivan is now
Ned Divine and the splitting of the money between them all.
They are all in agreement, except Lucy, The Witch, who is demanding a
cool million or she's going to shop the lot of them.
Set entirely on the Isle of Man, the film evokes a powerful, scenic image of
an Ireland which isn't really there.
The pace evokes a sincere belief in a way of life which perhaps still does
exist in some small parts of the world and the story is gently told with
humour and good natured intentions.
The timely death of Lucy left a sour taste. A more sentimental solution
would, I feel, not have been out of place and would have fitted well with the
rest of the film.
It was a very sentimental film, much along the lines of Whiskey Galore,
with justified, and not misplaced, sentimentality.
The death of Lucy, accidentally killed by the local vicar in a car accident,
as a message that the villagers were right in their action contrasted badly
with the mellow tale being told.
But apart from this one distasteful aberration; a thoroughly pleasant film
played with conviction and quiet enthusiasm.
